Re-hanging an old door?

Hi to all!
My boyfriend decided that this weekend, we're going to "remove back door and repaint, fix the bottom seal, attempt to fix the top so the door will close". I have a little more home-repair experience, and therefore am somewhat daunted by this, and the idea that this can be solved in a day. This door cannot be shut unless he throws his weight into it (my 125 doesn't cut it). I feel the settling of the house has made the door "kattywompus" in the frame. Any suggestions? I'm reluctant to alter the door too much, as it used to fit. What is the best way to remedy the door problem? Thanks!!

Advertisement

Last edited by NannerAnnie; 04-24-2008 at 10:30 AM.
Reason: to be kind to my boyfriend

Re-hanging an old door?

Since you say did fit well before, DO NOT cut it. You are correct in that there is another problem. Sounds like the sagging is from the hinge side. I would try to remove a screw from each hinge and replace it with a much longer one and attempt to get into the ruff framing and see if you can pull it back. I suspect that you have a structural problem if you cant pull it back.
That will require you to get a professional in there to analyze and repair the problem. Cutting the door will be a very short term temporary fix at best.Then when you fix the real problem the door is trash and you will have to replace the door in addition to the cost of the repairs.

Re-hanging an old door?

Re-hanging an old door?

Yes, you very possibly have a settlement problem, which has caused the door opening to go out of square a little.

Sometimes/usually it'll continue moving. The framing could be settling if the house is new. Otherwise, the foundation is probably shifting a little. My house is 50 years old and still shifts because of poor drainage conditions. Moisture (or lack thereof) in the soil the house sits on causes it to move up and down a little bit.

Assuming fixing the settlement is an obstacle...

You can use a hand plane or sander to remove a little bit of material from the door's sticking edge. I wouldn't use a saw because you probably don't need too much material removed. Another pretty good way to do this is to get some small 5x5" pieces of freshly cut window glass. You can even use broken glass. Using leather gloves to prevent cuts, with the door on edge, use both hands, pull the edge of the glass (at a slight angle tilted toward you) along the edge of the door to remove shavings of material. It won't remove as much as a hand plane, but is an economical alternative, because even the cheapest cruddiest planes cost about $45. Get a few pieces of glass, as they will lose their crisp edge after a while. Or, you can fasten some 40 or 60 grit sandpaper to a piece of wood to create a sanding block. Start with a rough grit to remove most of the material, then finish with 100 or 150 grit, depending on how nice of a finish you want to leave.